Vine rows curving around a hill at Aquila del Torre, with woodland on the crest and mountains in the distance under a blue sky — At Aquila del Torre the vines follow the contours of the hills, with woodland close by.

Friuli · Aquila del Torre

Friuli – a region we would like to invite you to meet

Vines that follow the contours of the hills. Houses reflected in the river. A lunch table where the people matter as much as the wine. When Vinarkivet visited Friuli together with Aquila del Torre, we met a region we now want to share with more people.

Fredrich Blixt and Victor Blixt · Vinarkivet

At the end of September we, Fredrich and Victor from Vinarkivet, arrived at Aquila del Torre. The invitation was personal: dinner together, two rooms for the night and the chance to discover the estate the next morning.

That became the starting point for a visit where wine, landscape and history belonged together. Together with Michele Ciani, Federico Orso and Matteo Bellotto, we got to meet both the places and the people who give Friuli its character.

At Aquila del Torre the vine rows run in curves across the slopes, with woodland between the plots and views over the plain. Here the Ciani family works with organic farming and biodynamic principles, taking care of the soil's fertility and the life on the estate. It gives the wine a concrete background: the land, the vegetation and the work that goes on long before a bottle is opened.

Staying at the estate also gave us time to see more. The brick vaults, the green shutters, the breakfast table and the light over the hills became parts of the same experience.

View through an open window with a brick vault, over green slopes and the wide plain in evening light — The view from the estate, through a window beneath the brick vault, over the hills and the plain.

The people open the door

A place gains more dimensions when someone shows it to you with their own knowledge and commitment.

Federico Orso is a storyteller and local expert. He has worked with FunActive Tours for more than twenty years and carries stories that connect buildings and landscapes with people's lives. Michele Ciani gave the visit its anchor at Aquila del Torre. Matteo Bellotto added the perspective from Friuli Colli Orientali and Ramandolo, where he works as brand ambassador for the area's wine consortium.

Their hospitality gave us ways into a region where a vineyard, an old monastery and a laid table can take the conversation in entirely different directions.

At lunch we gathered under a tree. On the table were glasses, bottles and platters of cheese and cured meats. The pictures from there capture something we want to carry into Vinarkivet's work: the chance to meet the people behind the wine and let them tell us about their home region.

A group at a long table under a tree raising their wine glasses, with vine rows and parasols in the background — A shared lunch table became part of meeting the region's people, food and wine.

History beneath your feet

In the Basilica of Aquileia the mosaics spread out with fish, birds, animals and interlaced patterns. The oldest parts of the floor belong to the church from the early 4th century. The archaeological area and the basilica are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The basilica floor in Aquileia covered with mosaics of interlaced patterns, tendrils and geometric figures between the rows of columns — In the Basilica of Aquileia we meet history in the mosaics beneath our feet.

Here the distance of time becomes tangible. Small stones, laid by hand many hundreds of years ago, still form pictures you can recognise.

In Cividale del Friuli the journey of discovery continued among cobbled lanes, arcades and squares with outdoor cafés. The houses above the river were reflected in the water. Inside the Tempietto Longobardo we found carved wooden benches, faded frescoes and white relief figures high on the wall. The Tempietto is part of the World Heritage site that tells of the Lombards' presence in Italy.

White relief figures in a row above a carved arch with a fresco of Christ and angels inside the Tempietto Longobardo — Frescoes and relief figures inside the Tempietto Longobardo in Cividale del Friuli.

Outside, everyday life went on. Someone crossed the square, a bicycle leaned against a stone wall and the cafés had guests under the parasols. History was right in the middle of a town that is still used and lived in.

Now we want to open the door to more people

We travelled to Friuli to meet a producer. We came home with material for a bigger story.

At Vinarkivet we want to invite you to get to know the region through its wines, food, culture and people. We are continuing to work with our contacts on site to create meetings and experiences where producers and local storytellers can speak for themselves.

Our visit was the beginning. Now we want to let more people discover what lies between the vineyard slopes, the lanes of the old towns and the tables where people gather.

Curious about Friuli? Get in touch via vinarkivet.com and tell us you would like to know more about upcoming tastings and opportunities to meet the region.

Every harvest carries a story. This one we want to share with you.

Friuli – a region we would like to invite you to meet

The people open the door

History beneath your feet

Now we want to open the door to more people

Would you like to meet Friuli with us?